Virtual reality falling short of gold in Olympics

August 13, 2016

The future of sports broadcasting seems to be moving at rapid pace toward augmented and virtual reality, yet early impressions of VR at the 2016 Summer Olympics are less than stellar. While a few networks like NBC and BBC are offering viewers 360-degree perspective of select events and ceremonies, this year television remains the most popular viewing experience. One possible reason for the lack of VR interest, at least for this year’s Olympics, may be U.S. viewers need a cable or satellite TV subscription, a Samsung Gear VR headset, and one of the latest Samsung Galaxy phones in order to enjoy the VR experience. Although the future may hold great promise for VR sports, 2016 fans will likely remedy their Olympic fever by watching a high-quality TV for now.